Identification of two novel adenoviruses in smooth-billed ani and tropical screech owl.

Ana Paula Jejesky De Oliveira,Győző L Kaján,Márton Z Vidovszky,Maria Cristina Valdetaro Rangel,João Luiz Rossi,Balázs Harrach,Fernando Vicentini,Negin P Martin

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229415

Abstract

Avian adenoviruses (AdVs) are a very diverse group of pathogens causing diseases in poultry and wild birds. Wild birds, endangered by habitat loss and habitat fragmentation in the tropical forests, are recognised to play a role in the transmission of various AdVs. In this study, two novel, hitherto unknown AdVs were described from faecal samples of smooth-billed ani and tropical screech owl. The former was classified into genus Aviadenovirus, the latter into genus Atadenovirus, and both viruses most probably represent new AdV species as well. These results show that there is very limited information about the biodiversity of AdVs in tropical wild birds, though viruses might have a major effect on the population of their hosts or endanger even domesticated animals. Surveys like this provide new insights into the diversity, evolution, host variety, and distribution of avian AdVs.

Highlights

Urbanisation, land conversion and road-building pose a risk to wildlife by habitat fragmentation and by exposing the animals to the risk of roadkill [1]
Birds can be infected by highly divergent AdVs classified into three different genera: genus Aviadenovirus, Siadenovirus and Atadenovirus [11]
Extracted DNA samples were screened for the presence of AdVs using a pan-adenovirus PCR, targeting the gene of the viral DNA polymerase and detecting all known AdVs [10,37]

Summary

Introduction

Urbanisation, land conversion and road-building pose a risk to wildlife by habitat fragmentation and by exposing the animals to the risk of roadkill [1]. Birds can be infected by highly divergent AdVs classified into three different genera: genus Aviadenovirus, Siadenovirus and Atadenovirus [11] The pathogenicity of these viruses is not always clear, they can cause latent infections but diseases as well, depending on the virulence of the strain and on cospeciation time [26]. Habitat loss and fragmentation cause novel interactions between pathogens, hosts and the environment This creates new routes for disease transmission, which results in the possible dispersion and adaptation of pathogens to new hosts. To address this risk, we investigated the occurrence of AdVs in tropical screech owls (Megascops choliba), guira cuckoos (Guira guira) and smooth-billed anis (Crotophaga ani) found dead along the highway ES-060

Origin of samples

PCR and sequencing

Phylogenetic analysis

Results and discussion